Trans wrestler Mack Beggs has this message about the Texas bathroom bill
A wrestler has spoken out against a proposed law which would stop trans people using the bathroom they identify with.
Mack Beggs, who previously signed an open letter against the bill with more than 50 other athletes, says that Texas politicians should “stop making people fear us”.
“I’ll never forget the time I was able to use the locker room and restroom consistent with my gender identity,” he explains in a new campaign video.
“It was an acknowledgement of who I am, and made me feel like I belonged on my team and in my school.”
Speaking over the piece, produced by Athlete Ally, he adds: “Transgender athletes aren’t cheating, we aren’t choosing, we belong. And now legislators are trying to take that from us, and strip us from legal protections,”
The controversial bill is similar to the HB2 bill that was passed in North Carolina and says people must use restrooms and changing facilities in public which correspond to the sex they were assigned at birth.
“Biological sex” is defined as the one listed on a person’s birth certificate.
The Texas Senate is currently holding a special session to consider the legislation, which is backed by Republican lawmaker Ron Simmons.
Anti-LGBT groups in the state previously came under fire after running ads depicting a little girl getting raped in a bathroom in a disgusting anti-trans smear campaign.
The so-called “bathroom bill” also received negative attention as some of the nation’s top business CEOs, including Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook, have denounced any sort of discriminatory, anti-trans legislation.
The bill threatens schools with hefty fines if they permit transgender children to use the bathroom of their preferred gender – up to $10,500 for “multiple violations”.
“Transgender people are not to be feared,” the trans wrestler continues. “We deserve the same rights and protections as everyone else.
“Our ability to access spaces consistent with our gender identities, and to have the same legal protections and opportunities to thrive should not be infringed upon.
He adds: “Creating laws that force us out of public spaces and into harm’s way isn’t what our state stands for.
“These potential laws only increase the likelihood of us being assaulted, or worse, and only serves to isolate and exclude the entire LGBTQ community.
The state also previously tried to pass a bill to ban trans people from competing in sports altogether.
